Two drown in Portugal after walkers hit by freak wave

A five-year-old British girl and her grandfather on their summer holiday were
swept out to sea.

Lara Lewis, who drowned with her grandfather in Praia dos Dalgados in Portugal

By Fiona Govan in Madrid, and Rosa Silverman

6:00AM BST 22 Aug 2012

A five-year-old British girl and her grandfather have drowned in Portugal after being swept out to sea by a freak wave as they strolled along a beach.

Lara Lewis and Brian O’Dwyer, 66, were walking along Salgada beach at Nazare, a picturesque fishing village 80 miles north of the capital Lisbon, when they were knocked off their feet by a wave and swept out to sea.

A woman, believed to be the child’s grandmother, Jill O’Dwyer, was with them and was also swept out to sea but survived and is said to be recovering in hospital.

They were outside an area patrolled by lifeguards when the wave overcame them. It is understood the three had left Lara’s parents, Philip and Sian Lewis, sunbathing to take a walk. Mr and Mrs Lewis were described as being “in deep shock” last night.

Mr Lewis works at University College London, where he is Professor of Remote Sensing, the science of using instruments in space to gleen information about the Earth’s surface through electromagnetic radiation.

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Last night David Mason, 69, a neighbour of the family, in Hackney, north London, described Lara as “an absolutely charming little lass”.

He said: “I used to see her come out of the house with her mother and she was always cheerful and would always say to me, 'Hello, Dave.’ She was very friendly.”

Another neighbour, who did not want to be named, said: “They’re a lovely family. She was a lovely child and will be sorely missed within the whole community.

“We’re a very close-knit community around here and everyone knows everyone else’s children. It’s going to be really hard.”

He paid tribute to Lara’s grandfather as a “lovely man,” adding: “Everyone will be very sad.”

The tragedy happened shortly before 2pm yesterday. Two fishermen on a small boat saw the three struggling in the water and rushed to help, pulling them out of the sea and alerting the rescue services.

But by the time they reached shore the man and the child had stopped breathing. Rescue services on the beach tried to revive them but without success.

“The grandfather was already dead when he was pulled from the sea and the INEM (National Institute of Emergency Medicine) team did their best to revive the young girl but to no avail,” said Alberquerque e Silva, the commander of the Port of Nazare rescue services.

“The two victims, accompanied by the grandmother, had left the area of Salgada beach, which is under lifeguard surveillance, and went for a walk during which, we believe, they must have been knocked over and swept away by the waves.”

The fishermen who saw the three holidaymakers struggling in the water did what they could to save them, Mr Silva added. “They lifted them out of the water and took them to shore, calling the rescue services to come and help.”

Mrs O’Dwyer was taken to hospital in nearby Albaca, where she was said to be out of danger. “We are aware of reports of the death of two British nationals on a beach in Portugal and are liaising with the local authorities,” said a Foreign Office spokesman.

Salgado beach, which stretches over 3.5 miles, is popular with surfers and body boarders attracted by the rolling Atlantic breakers but its tides are known locally to be dangerous and swimmers are warned to take great care.

The Foreign Office warns visitors to Portugal to be aware of the dangers of swimming in the sea and to pay careful attention to lifeguards’ warning flags.

“Death by drowning occurs each year on Portuguese beaches,” it warns on its website.

“The maritime police have the power to fine bathers who disobey the lifeguards’ warning flags.”